The beginning of BloodClan
by Butterflywing
Summary: Sorreltail tells three kits about the beginning of bloodclan... One of which is the key to it's future.
1. Storyteller

The story of BloodClan

Three kits struggled into the elder's den, just managing to carry a large rabbit between them. "Poppykit!" cried one, jerking out of slumber as the pale orange kit crashed into her. She glanced over at the other two kits, now sitting respectfully with their tails wrapped around them, their eyes cast downwards. "Well I suppose you three want to hear a story, do you?"

"Oh yes!" cried the black kit, jumping to her paws. "Please tell us a story, Sorreltail! Tell us the story of when the clans battled BloodClan!"

"I don't feel like telling that story today," said Sorreltail. The black kit (Whose name was Darkkit) looked sad for a moment, until Sorreltail said, "I could tell you another story of BloodClan though."

The third kit, Dreamkit, said "Will you really, Sorreltail?"

"Of course," said Sorreltail, "But you must promise to never tell Bramblestar, because he says that those days are over, and they're never coming back."

The three kits leaned closer without realizing it. Sorreltail shifted back in her nest and began.

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Sorry that one was so short! It was just an introduction, so the rest should b longer.


	2. The five clans

The five clans

Sorreltail began to speak. She was a good storyteller, and in a moment the three kits could see what she was describing as really as if they had been there.

"There once lay a forest, within which resided five clans. They were called MarshClan, MudClan, ForestClan, GrassClan, and MoonClan. The first four were like the clans that exist today, fighting over borders, hunting, everything we do today. But the last clan, MoonClan, was different." Sorreltail thought for a moment. "Do you remember that story I told you three about the moonstone?" the three kits nodded. "Well MoonClan lived in the territory above where the Thnderpath was (You remember when I told you about the Thnderpath, right?) And governed the territory where the moonstone lay. Unlike the other clans, they did not fight over their borders (Their territory was sacred and all the clans knew that StarClan would punish them severely if they fought on It.) and they did not hunt, because they seemed to live off the moonlight. One day their leader, Shootingstar, died, and her deputy, Brightstar, took her place. Shootingstar was a just and noble leader. She had a special connection with Starclan that no other leader –either then or since- has been able to double. It is said that the night she died, the stars shone so brightly it was as if the sun was still shining. Brightstar was talented, yes, but she had always shown more interest in fighting than any of her clan mates.

One night, during a gathering, Brightstar demanded that the other clans give up their territories to her clan. She said they would take it by force if they had to, but would prefer not to. In those days, twolegs had not yet begun to invade the clan's territories, and the borders stretched many, many pawsteps, so far that it might take a few sunhighs to travel their length. Each clan contained many, many cats. So many that you might never know the names of all your clan mates on your dieing day. Anyway, the other clans did not give up their territory, so Brightstar ordered his clan to attack. He had been training his warriors, and they fought viciously. In the end, almost every cat was killed. MoonClan was defeated at last through sheer numbers. That night, the clan leaders (Who miraculously had all survived) were given a dream from StarClan, They were very angry. They said that MoonClan had abused StarClan's trust, and that they were to be banished immediately. They said also that this was a time of evil for the forest, and that all traces of MoonClan had to be erased. First they sent the Twolegs. Leafstar, ForestClan's leader was confused

'Why?' she asked. StarClan answered,

'Because MoonClan must be given a place to live.'

Starclan next proclaimed that all the clans would change their names. 'MarshClan will be called ShadowClan. MudClan will be called RiverClan. ForestClan will be called ThunderClan. GrassClan will be called WindClan. And MoonClan, MoonClan had been given the name BloodClan.'"

Sorreltail finished her tale, and shooed the kits back to their mother in the nursery. Suddenly another cat stepped into the elder's den. "Sorreltail," It was Bramblestar.

"Yes?" Sorreltail's eyes flashed with alarm, "You didn't hear the story I was just telling, did you?"

Bramblestar purred in amusement, "yes," he admitted. Then he sighed, "Sorreltail, what are we going to do with you? You know the rules."

"Why do you care so much?" asked Sorreltail.

"Forget it." Said Bramblestar." He turned away. He wasn't telling Sorreltail the whole truth. He didn't tell her about the dream he'd had from StarClan. That BloodClan would return- in one of those kits.

Oh… cliffie! I'm going to make a sequel… and it's going to be all cool and stuff! I'm making so many stories! I'm up to three now!"


	3. The gathering

The gathering

(This story takes place as if the new prophecy had never happened, if any one was wondering. In case anyone is wondering, Sorreltail is an elder, but a new one, all the apprentices who are apprentices in the new prophecies are senior warriors, all the warriors but Sorreltail and Ashfur are dead (And they are elders) and of course Brambleclaw.)

Darkkit stared out at the camp, at the cats gathering besides the elderly leader Bramblestar for the gathering.

His sister Dreamkit sat down beside him, their sister Poppykit was asleep beside their mother. "Bramblestar is a great leader." Said Darkkit. He looked up to Bramblestar, and wished that his leader was still young enough to have an apprentice.

"Yes," agreed Dreamkit, "It's too bad he only has one life left." Darkkit sighed and turned away. Dreamkit often said things like this, things she had no way of knowing. Leafpelt, their medicine cat, had said that there was nothing wrong with her, she just had a very active imagination. She had asked their mother, Milkclaw, (Whitepelt and Shrewclaw's first daughter) to stay and talk to her after, though.

Leafpelt was striding across the clearing towards them now. She went into the nursery, and a moment later Milkclaw sent Poppykit out to play with them. A while later, Leafpelt stepped out of the nursery and towards the three kits, who were still watching the last cats leaving the camp.

"Dreamkit," she said, "would you like to be my apprentice?"

"Me?" said Dreamkit in a shocked voice.

"Yes, you," purred Leafpelt, "Do you see any other Dreamkits around?"

"Well, no," replied Dreamkit, "But, why?"

Leafpelt's gaze rested on Poppykit and Darkkit for a moment, and it was clear she didn't want to say anything else in front of them. She changed the subject. "If you say yes, you can become an apprentice tomorrow night."

"Sure," said Dreamkit, "But I'm only five moons old."

"Don't worry about it," purred Leafpelt. She walked away. Dreamkit scurried back into the nursery to tell their mother. Suddenly Darkkit stood up.

"Do you want to come to the gathering?" he asked Poppykit.

"But mother says we're not allowed to until we're apprentices," Replied his sister in a confused voice.

"Well we're not going to tell anyone we're going." Said Darkkit.

"Well.. Ok." Poppykit replied. The two kits headed out of the camp entrance.

Darkkit acted calm, but on the inside, he was angry. 'Why does my sister get to be an apprentice a moon early?' he thought, 'And to a medicine cat? We promised each other we'd always do everything together!'

A while later, they arrived, "Wow!" gasped Poppykit. Darkkit had to agree with her. There were so many new sights and sounds! They made to run down to a clearing, when a large black warrior stopped them. Standing over them, he asked,

"And what are two such very YOUNG ThunderClan cats doing here?" He opened his mouth up wide, and in that moment, Darkkit was sure he would never live to become an apprentice.


	4. Captured

Captured

(I only own what is not in the books!)

* * *

A few moments later, Darkkit woke up. 'That's funny,' he thought, 'I don't remember falling asleep.' He opened his eyes, expecting to see his mother's face, but instead, he saw an unfamiliar queen staring back at him. Inhaling deeply, he nearly choked on what he thought must be Shadowclan's scent. The queen licked his head roughly and said, don't worry, you'll forget all about that nasty Thunderclan soon enough.

"No," said Darkkit standing up, "I want my mother, and where's Poppykit!"

"Sorry, kit, but you have to stay in Shadowclan now," said the queen. She seemed nice enough, but Darkkit didn't notice.

"Why!" he asked.

"Because otherwise, we will kill you."

* * *

Duh duh duh! Cliffy, huh? And a really short chapter! I guess you'll just have to wait some more to find out what happens to poor little Darkkit, huh? Because this chapter is OVER!

* * *

Ok, ok, you caught me. There's more.

* * *

(Poppykit's POV)

Poppykit gasped, running away from the Shadowclan camp wall. After that Shadowclan warrior had cornered her and her brother, he had sprinkled some kind of herb over Darkkit, but Poppykit had managed to escape.

She ran back to ThunderClan camp, to tell her mother about what she had seen and heard, but her mother just scolded her for going out of camp like that. She told her mother the next morning, but she didn't believe her. Poppykit kept on pestering her until Milkclaw took her to Leafpelt and Dreampaw a week later.

After that, Poppykit stopped bothering everyone to go to the Shadowclan camp and get her brother back, but she never forgot. Sometimes in the nursery, she could have sworn she saw his flickering form, of heard a playful voice from a corner of the den, and she knew StarClan was telling her not to forget her brother. She swore to herself,

"_Someday I will find him, and when I do, I will bring him back to ThunderClan."_

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That really is the end of this chapter… But in the next chapter they are all apprentices… Also, if you submit a review could you please guess who resurrects BloodClan? I want to know if I made it too obvious. 


	5. The prophecy and Part two

A single step

"Poppykit? Poppykit? Oh where is she this time!" Poppykit's mother sighed and walked over to Bramblestar. "Bramblestar," she sighed, "Poppykit is missing again."

"Again?" asked Bramblestar in a disbelieving tone of voice, "She's gone missing six times in the last half moon! I'm in half a mind not to let her be an apprentice!"

But he was joking, and Milkclaw knew it. So did Poppykit, when she hurried into the camp a few minutes later, back from an exploration. She had scented Darkkit for the first time in over a moon today, near fourtrees. Immediately Bramblestar hurried over to her.

"Where have you been, young lady?" he demanded.

Poppykit shuffled her paws but did not answer.

"I'm in half a mind not to make you an apprentice!" he said angrily, but Poppykit knew he would.

* * *

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Bramblestar called, "Let all those old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high rock for a clan meeting!" Poppykit bounded out of the kit's den, her freshly groomed fur already beginning to look ruffled and out of place.

"Poppykit, step up here."

A few minutes later, Poppypaw bounded off the highstone with her new mentor, Birchtree.

Two of the apprentices (Creampaw and Longpaw), bounded over to her and congratulated her. "Do you want to go out in the forest with us?" mewed Creampaw.

"Sure," Said Poppypaw. The three bounded off into the forest, heading towards fourtrees.

Although Creampaw and Longpaw had already been apprentices for a moon, Poppypaw had no trouble keeping up with them. Both her parents were fast, and she had been sneaking off into the forest to scent for her missing brother for a moon. Besides that, she had just been made an apprentice! She felt as if she had the wind in her paws. Soon she had left the other two far behind.

* * *

She padded towards Sunningrocks, pulled by her sister's scent. Dreampaw must have been out gathering herbs. "Hey Poppypaw!" she mewed. "Congratulations on becoming an apprentice, sorry I missed the ceremony. Sorreltail's back legs are aching, and Leafpelt isn't as young as she was, so she sent me to get some herbs.

"I'll help you look," Mewed Poppypaw. The two looked for a long, long time, but didn't seem to be aware of it. It was only when Poppypaw realized with a shock that she could see every star in the sky that she realized how long they had been out.

The stars were all out, bright and clear, as though they were feet away from the two apprentices huddled on the rock. And then, Poppypaw realized, with a thrill of excitement- They were! The the stars were melting into cats- The largest point of each star became the head, the four others paws, tail sprouting as though from thin air.

One of the StarClan warriors stepped up to the two quivering apprentices.

And then she spoke.

"Apprentices," she said, in a voice that seemed as beautiful as the stars, "Do not be afraid. I am Leafstar, leader of StarClan. I have come with a message for you. I have received a prophecy about you and your brother." She stood still, her eyes shut, and then began to speak. Her voice began so faint that the two she-cats had to strain their ears to hear it, and swelled in volume until Poppypaw was sure the entire forest could hear.

_In a forest_

_Dark as night_

_Five clans rule once more_

_One in swiftness_

_One in might_

_One in hunting_

_One in water_

_One in stars_

_Because the blood red cat has come_

_To led them to their fate_

_Blood is resurrected_

_Their journey now complete._

"By StarClan's laws, I can not help you decipher the prophecy- it is for your shoulder's to bear alone- but I will help you in one thing. Before a cat is born, they exist, in a sort of half awake mostly dreaming state in Starclan. No matter what color they are when they are born, every cat is gold, silver, or red while in Starclan. Almost every cat is silver or gold. But you two- and your brother- were blood red. There is no other cat currently living in the forest that was red when in StarClan. So one of you will resurrect BloodClan.

Leafstar shimmered and began to fade, and the two apprentices were left in bright sunlight.

'_I am one step closer,'_ Poppypaw thought, _'to finding my brother. First I am made an apprentice, and now the prophecy. Every Journey begins with a single step, and so my journey has begun.'_

* * *

Whew! Another chapter done! I have an awesome idea of how to do the rest of the chapters too! Whew! 


	6. In a forest

In a forest dark as night

Poppypaw stumbled down into her den, felling as if there was no energy left in her weary limbs. There she slept until morning came. Birchtree woke her at dawn and called to hurry up and get down to the training hollow. Poppypaw paused a moment to lick her ruffled fur into place, and then charged into the sandy hallow, where a cat immediately dropped on her head.

She flipped and twisted, trying to fight off her invisible attacker, while at the same time looking desperately around for Birchtree. Suddenly a laughing voice said, "And that's for being late!" the cat dropped off Poppypaw, who saw that it was just Birchtree. She purred and sat down in front of her mentor.

Birchtree was the deputy of ThunderClan, and she already showed the makings of a fine leader. She was already in charge of much of the day to day running of the clan, including organizing hunting patrols and border patrols, and-

"I've been thinking," meowed Birchtree, "You'll be looking forward to your first gathering, won't you?" Poppypaw nodded eagerly, and Birchtree continued. "Would you like to go tonight?"

"Oh yes!" said Poppypaw, and Birchtree replied,

"Then we must continue training as soon as possible. They worked hard all morning, hunting, fighting, and eventually falling down, exhausted, some time after dark. "Well we better get back to camp; we don't want to be late to the gathering!"

The two cats charged back to camp, only to be informed by one of the cats staying behind that Bramblestar had waited as long as he could but had finally left.

"How long ago?" asked Birchtree

"Not too long."

"Then we can still catch him!" the two bounded out of the clearing and into the forest, catching up to their leader and the others just as they ran down into fourtrees. It was then that Poppypaw finally saw her brother.


	7. Five clans rule once more

Five clans rule once more

The gathering passed uneventfully, as far as Poppypaw could figure, never having been to one before. Ok, it seemed pretty exiting and unusual, because,

She saw her long lost brother.

She was so exited she crashed into her long lost brother

She was called a moron, dunderhead, and eyeless by her long lost brother

Her long lost brother walked away.

But to anyone who didn't have a long lost brother, it was probably a very normal gathering.

After the gathering, after Poppypaw was curled up in the apprentices den next to Dreampaw, just after she had fallen asleep, Dreampaw woke with a start, knocking Poppypaw right out of her nest.

"What was that for?" Poppypaw asked.

"I- I have to go see Leafpelt!"

"Why?" Poppypaw looked up at Dreampaw curiously, but her sister was gone.

Poppypaw had just drifted back to sleep when She was knocked flying from her nest.

"Can't I get a moment's sleep in here?" she asked angrily.

"Sorry," said Dreampaw, "But Leafpelt said to come get you, we're going to moonstones."

"Why do I have to come?"

"Probably because of the prophecy."

"You told her about that?"

"Sure." Dreampaw was puzzled by the accusing tone in Poppypaw's voice. "She's a medicine cat."

"Whatever." Poppypaw's instinct was to keep Leafstar's strange visit secret, but Dreampaw was right, Leafpelt probably knew more about that sort of stuff then they did anyway.

The two apprentices padded out of the den and after Poppypaw had had the traveling herbs Leafpelt had hastily prepared for her (she and Dreampaw couldn't have them because they were actually going to share dreams with StarClan) they started off.

The journey to moonstones was uneventful. The three cats headed deep inside the motherstone and finally emerged in the cave with the moonstone in it.

Eventually Leafpelt and Dreampaw were both asleep. Poppypaw wondered how they could possibly sleep with that bright light glaring down on them. She herself stared unblinkingly at the stone for a long time.

Suddenly she heard noises from far away, above the moonstone. She glanced at Leafpelt and Dreampaw, but they didn't look like they'd wake anytime soon, so she followed her own scent trail back above ground.

The sight that met her was one she would have never have expected. Many, many cats were swarming around. From the sharp teeth embedded on their collars to their claws reinforced with dog's claws, she knew who they must be.

Dimly, the words of the prophecy came back to her.

_Five clans rule once more_

Suddenly, one of the cats noticed her. "There she is! That must be the one we're looking for!"

The cats were all running towards her, a strange glint in their eyes, when another voice spoke.

"Stop!" It said. "That's my sister!"

Poppypaw looked up.

It was Darkpaw.


	8. Because the blood red cat has come

Because the blood red cat has come to lead them to their fate

A few hours later, Poppypaw sat next to Darkpaw on the hard ground a way away from Moonstones, telling him quietly about the prophecy so the guards wouldn't hear.

After she had finished, they sat in silence for a while, until Poppypaw asked, "Why did you suddenly remember I was your sister? At the gathering it seemed like you didn't know me at all."

Darkpaw spoke quietly. "I didn't. I'd been in Shadowclan so long, I started to forget. But then you bumped into me, and I thought there was something familiar about you. Then I had a dream tonight from StarClan. They told me to go to Moonstones to rescue my sister. Then I remembered you, and I came out as fast as I could.

He smiled ruefully. "Not that it helped much. Now we're both trapped. Why were you at moonstones anyway?"

Poppypaw told him about Dreampaw's mysterious dream, and Leafpelt's insistence that Poppypaw come with them to the moonstones.

"There's still one thing I don't understand," Said Darkpaw. "When I got to moonstones, that BloodClan warrior said something like 'that's the one we're looking for!' What did he mean?"

"I've been wondering about that too," said Poppypaw, "And I think that they must somehow know about the prophecy, because they didn't kill either one of us, they just took us here."

They probably would have kept talking about it for a while longer, but two bloodclan warriors came and told them, in loud gruff voices, to follow them.

The BloodClan warriors lead the two apprentices to a large rock where a large cat (probably the leader) stood.

The warriors pushed them up the rock to stand behind the other cat.

"All hail Claw, leader of BloodClan!" One of them called. Other cats approached the rock, settling down in front of it, and Poppypaw was reminded of how BloodClan was once part of the four forest clans.

The large cat, Claw, spoke in a loud voice. "Friends," he said, "We have waited for this day for generations. Ever since the day the clans drove us out of our forest, we have waited for this day! Scrouge, May his legacy last forever, was a key part in this revenge. When Tigerstar approached him with a plan to take over the forest, he thought it was a sign that we would finally rule the forest, as our great ruler of old, Brightstar tried to do, but like Brightstar, he failed. However, we have learned from past mistakes. This time we will not fail! This time, we have not one, but two of the cats we have been promised! Cats of Bloodclan! Today we will take our revenge!

Poppypaw was horrified. Would she really have to join with BloodClan to fight her own clan? She would rather die than do that, but something told her she wasn't going to be given that choice.

Suddenly, she heard Leafstar's voice clearly in her mind.

'There are other ways of fighting then with claws…'

And she knew clearly what she must do.

* * *

Duh duh duh! What will she do! You'll never know… At least until I write the next chapter! 


	9. Blood is resurected

Blood is resurrected, their journey now complete

"Wait!" She was surprised anyone could hear her over the noise that had erupted after Claw's speech. But some cat did, and before she knew it, everyone was staring at her.

"You can't really want to do this! There are so many of you, you could kill every cat in the forest!"

A large brown and black cat sitting near the back said, "Um… that's kind of the point…"

Poppypaw ignored him. "But you said you know of Brightstar. Surely you know that before he was leader, all the clans lived in peace, and MoonClan was the greatest of them all! You had StarClan's blessing, and your days were lined with prosperity! You can have those days back again, but not if you fight for them!"

The cats were all silent for a while, but finally, Claw spoke. "The she-cat is right. There will be no fighting here tonight."

"But Claw-"

"No! I have been against this plan from the very beginning, and now I know I can never fight against cats StarClan watches over. Once, we were the greatest of them all-"

"But we still are!" It was the brown and black cat who had spoken up before. "we can hunt and fight better than any clan in the forest, and we would have been in control of the forest by now if Scrouge hadn't been so full of himself!"

But Claw had stepped away. "No."

And that was the end. Well, not quite the end. BloodClan left. They walked back to the twoleg streets, and Poppypaw returned (with Darkpaw, of course) to the moonstone, where Dreampaw and Leafpelt were just waking up. They thought it was the last they would see of BloodClan, but they were wrong.

At the very next gathering, there was a surprise. The leaders were about to start the meeting, when another cat jumped up behind them.

Claw!

It turned out that ever since the last gathering, when Poppypaw had convinced BloodClan not to fight, Claw had been meeting secretly with the four leaders, and they had all agreed, that if StarClan approved, BloodClan would have their old territory back.

That night, all five leaders went to moonstones.

Poppypaw didn't go, but she had a dream anyway. Dreampaw and Darkpaw were standing on ether side of her, and Leafstar was standing in front of them all.

"Poppypaw, Dreampaw, Darkpaw. On behalf of StarClan, I would like to thank you for saving BloodClan and with it the other four clans. BloodClan will be accepted back into the forest. Their journey is over. Unfortunately, yours is just beginning."

"What-"

"The twolegs were sent as a punishment when BloodClan was not worthy of StarClan's protection. Now that they have proved themselves worthy again, you three must journey until you find a place where all five clans can live in peace without twolegs."

The dream faded, and Poppypaw jerked awake. One glance at Darkpaw's face told her that he had seen the same thing she had. She turned to see Dreampaw looking at her from the other side.

"well," said Poppypaw in an undertone, "Should we start this journey?"

* * *

I see a sequal coming on! Yay for sequals! Sorry if it sounds a little like the new prophecy, it's going to be completly different, for one thing, it's just going to be three thunderClanapprentices and one BloodClan apprentice! Yep, a BloodClan apprentice! Yay new characters!


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